道林格雷的画像_奥斯卡·王尔德-第37节

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n　it。　he　read　it　over　twice；　folded　it　carefully；　and　pushed　it　across　the　table。　having　done　this；　he　got　up　and　went　over　to　the　window。

campbell　looked　at　him　in　surprise；　and　then　took　up　the　paper；　and　opened　it。　as　he　read　it；　his　face　became　ghastly　pale　and　he　fell　back　in　his　chair。　a　horrible　sense　of　sickness　came　over　him。　he　felt　as　if　his　heart　was　beating　itself　to　death　in　some　empty　hollow。

after　two　or　three　minutes　of　terrible　silence；　dorian　turned　round　and　came　and　stood　behind　him；　putting　his　hand　upon　his　shoulder。

〃i　am　so　sorry　for　you；　alan；〃　he　murmured；　〃but　you　leave　me　no　alternative。　i　have　a　letter　written　already。　here　it　is。　you　see　the　address。　if　you　dont　help　me；　i　must　send　it。　if　you　dont　help　me；　i　will　send　it。　you　know　what　the　result　will　be。　but　you　are　going　to　help　me。　it　is　impossible　for　you　to　refuse　now。　i　tried　to　spare　you。　you　will　do　me　the　justice　to　admit　that。　you　were　stern；　harsh；　offensive。　you　treated　me　as　no　man　has　ever　dared　to　treat　meno　living　man；　at　any　rate。　i　bore　it　all。　now　it　is　for　me　to　dictate　terms。〃

campbell　buried　his　face　in　his　hands；　and　a　shudder　passed　through　him。

〃yes；　it　is　my　turn　to　dictate　terms；　alan。　you　know　what　they　are。　the　thing　is　quite　simple。　e；　dont　work　yourself　into　this　fever。　the　thing　has　to　be　done。　face　it；　and　do　it。〃

a　groan　broke　from　campbells　lips　and　he　shivered　all　over。　the　ticking　of　the　clock　on　the　mantelpiece　seemed　to　him　to　be　dividing　time　into　separate　atoms　of　agony；　each　of　which　was　too　terrible　to　be　borne。　he　felt　as　if　an　iron　ring　was　being　slowly　tightened　round　his　forehead；　as　if　the　disgrace　with　which　he　was　threatened　had　already　e　upon　him。　the　hand　upon　his　shoulder　weighed　like　a　hand　of　lead。　it　was　intolerable。　it　seemed　to　crush　him。

〃e；　alan；　you　must　decide　at　once。〃

〃i　cannot　do　it；〃　he　said；　mechanically；　as　though　words　could　alter　things。

〃you　must。　you　have　no　choice。　dont　delay。〃

he　hesitated　a　moment。　〃is　there　a　fire　in　the　room　upstairs？〃

〃yes；　there　is　a　gas…fire　with　asbestos。〃

〃i　shall　have　to　go　home　and　get　some　things　from　the　laboratory。〃

〃no；　alan；　you　must　not　leave　the　house。　write　out　on　a　sheet　of　notepaper　what　you　want　and　my　servant　will　take　a　cab　and　bring　the　things　back　to　you。〃

campbell　scrawled　a　few　lines；　blotted　them；　and　addressed　an　envelope　to　his　assistant。　dorian　took　the　note　up　and　read　it　carefully。　then　he　rang　the　bell　and　gave　it　to　his　valet；　with　orders　to　return　as　soon　as　possible　and　to　bring　the　things　with　him。

as　the　hall　door　shut；　campbell　started　nervously；　and　having　got　up　from　the　chair；　went　over　to　the　chimney…piece。　he　was　shivering　with　a　kind　of　ague。　for　nearly　twenty　minutes；　neither　of　the　men　spoke。　a　fly　buzzed　noisily　about　the　room；　and　the　ticking　of　the　clock　was　like　the　beat　of　a　hammer。

as　the　chime　struck　one；　campbell　turned　round；　and　looking　at　dorian　gray；　saw　that　his　eyes　were　filled　with　tears。　there　was　something　in　the　purity　and　refinement　of　that　sad　face　that　seemed　to　enrage　him。　〃you　are　infamous；　absolutely　infamous！〃　he　muttered。

〃hush；　alan。　you　have　saved　my　life；〃　said　dorian。

〃your　life？　good　heavens！　what　a　life　that　is！　you　have　gone　from　corruption　to　corruption；　and　now　you　have　culminated　in　crime。　in　doing　what　i　am　going　to　dowhat　you　force　me　to　do　it　is　not　of　your　life　that　i　am　thinking。〃

〃ah；　alan；〃　murmured　dorian　with　a　sigh；　〃i　wish　you　had　a　thousandth　part　of　the　pity　for　me　that　i　have　for　you。〃　he　turned　away　as　he　spoke　and　stood　looking　out　at　the　garden。　campbell　made　no　answer。

after　about　ten　minutes　a　knock　came　to　the　door；　and　the　servant　entered；　carrying　a　large　mahogany　chest　of　chemicals；　with　a　long　coil　of　steel　and　platinum　wire　and　two　rather　curiously　shaped　iron　clamps。

〃shall　i　leave　the　things　here；　sir？〃　he　asked　campbell。

〃yes；〃　said　dorian。　〃and　i　am　afraid；　francis；　that　i　have　another　errand　for　you。　what　is　the　name　of　the　man　at　richmond　who　supplies　selby　with　orchids？〃

〃harden；　sir。〃

〃yesharden。　you　must　go　down　to　richmond　at　once；　see　harden　personally；　and　tell　him　to　send　twice　as　many　orchids　as　i　ordered；　and　to　have　as　few　white　ones　as　possible。　in　fact；　i　dont　want　any　white　ones。　it　is　a　lovely　day；　francis；　and　richmond　is　a　very　pretty　place　otherwise　i　wouldnt　bother　you　about　it。〃

〃no　trouble；　sir。　at　what　time　shall　i　be　back？〃

dorian　looked　at　campbell。　〃how　long　will　your　experiment　take；　alan？〃　he　said　in　a　calm　indifferent　voice。　the　presence　of　a　third　person　in　the　room　seemed　to　give　him　extraordinary　courage。

campbell　frowned　and　bit　his　lip。　〃it　will　take　about　five　hours；〃　he　answered。

〃it　will　be　time　enough；　then；　if　you　are　back　at　half…past　seven；　francis。　or　stay：　just　leave　my　things　out　for　dressing。　you　can　have　the　evening　to　yourself。　i　am　not　dining　at　home；　so　i　shall　not　want　you。〃

〃thank　you；　sir；〃　said　the　man；　leaving　the　room。

〃now；　alan；　there　is　not　a　moment　to　be　lost。　how　heavy　this　chest　is！　ill　take　it　for　you。　you　bring　the　other　things。〃　he　spoke　rapidly　and　in　an　authoritative　manner。　campbell　felt　dominated　by　him。　they　left　the　room　together。

when　they　reached　the　top　landing；　dorian　took　out　the　key　and　turned　it　in　the　lock。　then　he　stopped；　and　a　troubled　look　came　into　his　eyes。　he　shuddered。　〃i　dont　think　i　can　go　in；　alan；〃　he　murmured。

〃it　is　nothing　to　me。　i　dont　require　you；〃　said　campbell　coldly。

dorian　half　opened　the　door。　as　he　did　so；　he　saw　the　face　of　his　portrait　leering　in　the　sunlight。　on　the　floor　in　front　of　it　the　torn　curtain　was　lying。　he　remembered　that　the　night　before　he　had　forgotten；　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　to　hide　the　fatal　canvas；　and　was　about　to　rush　forward；　when　he　drew　back　with　a　shudder。

what　was　that　loathsome　red　dew　that　gleamed；　wet　and　glistening；　on　one　of　the　hands；　as　though　the　canvas　had　sweated　blood？　how　horrible　it　was！more　horrible；　it　seemed　to　him　for　the　moment；　than　the　silent　thing　that　he　knew　was　stretched　across　the　table；　the　thing　whose　grotesque　misshapen　shadow　on　the　spotted　carpet　showed　him　that　it　had　not　stirred；　but　was　still　there；　as　he　had　left　it。

he　heaved　a　deep　breath；　opened　the　door　a　little　wider；　and　with　half…closed　eyes　and　averted　head；　walked　quickly　in；　determined　that　he　would　not　look　even　once　upon　the　dead　man。　then；　stooping　down　and　taking　up　the　gold…and…purple　hanging；　he　flung　it　right　over　the　picture。

there　he　stopped；　feeling　afraid　to　turn　round；　and　his　eyes　fixed　themselves　on　the　intricacies　of　the　pattern　before　him。　he　heard　campbell　bringing　in　the　heavy　chest；　and　the　irons；　and　the　other　things　that　he　had　required　for　his　dreadful　work。　he　began　to　wonder　if　he　and　basil　hallward　had　ever　met；　and；　if　so；　what　they　had　thought　of　each　other。

〃leave　me　now；〃　said　a　stern　voice　behind　him。

he　turned　and　hurried　out；　just　conscious　that　the　dead　man　had　been　thrust　back　into　the　chair　and　that　campbell　was　gazing　into　a　glistening　yellow　face。　as　he　was　going　downstairs；　he　heard　the　key　being　turned　in　the　lock。

it　was　long　after　seven　when　campbell　came　back　into　the　library。　he　was　pale；　but　absolutely　calm。　〃i　have　done　what　you　asked　me　to　do；〃　he　muttered　〃and　now；　good…bye。　let　us　never　see　each　other　again。〃

〃you　have　saved　me　from　ruin；　alan。　i　cannot　forget　that；〃　said　dorian　simply。

as　soon　as　campbell　had　left；　he　went　upstairs。　there　was　a　horrible　smell　of　nitric　acid　in　the　room。　but　the　thing　that　had　been　sitting　at　the　table　was　gone。

xia锛�锛砲u锛痶x锛础ｏ迹om



Chapter　15

澶у�︾敓@灏彙�璇础ㄧ綉
chapter　15

that　evening；　at　eight…thirty；　exquisitely　dressed　and　wearing　a　large　button…hole　of　parma　violets；　dorian　gray　was　ushered　into　lady　narboroughs　drawing…room　by　bowing　servants。　his　forehead　was　throbbing　with　maddened　nerves；　and　he　felt　wildly　excited；　but　his　manner　as　he　bent　over　his　hostesss　hand　was　as　easy　and　graceful　as　ever。　perhaps　one　never　seems　so　much　at　ones　ease　as　when　one　has　to　play　a　part。　certainly　no　one　looking　at　dorian　gray　that　night　could　have　believed　that　he　had　passed　through　a　tragedy　as　horrible　as　any　tragedy　of　our　age。　those　finely　shaped　fingers　could　never　have　clutched　a　knife　for　sin；　nor　those　smiling　lips　have　cried　out　on　god　and　goodness。　he　himself　could　not　help　wondering　at　the　calm　of　his　demeanour；　and　for　a　moment　felt　keenly　the　terrible　pleasure　of　a　double　life。

it　was　a　small　party；　got　up　rather　in　a　hurry　by　lady　narborough；　who　was　a　very　clever　woman　with　what　lord　henry　used　to　describe　as　the　remains　of　really　remarkable　ugliness。　she　had　proved　an　excellent　wife　to　one　of　our　most　tedious　ambassadors；　and　having　buried　her　husband　properly　in　a　marble　mausoleum；　which　she　had　herself　designed；　and　married　off　her　daughters　to　some　rich；　rather　elderly　men；　she　devoted　herself　now　to　the　pleasures　of　french　fiction；　french　cookery；　and　french　esprit　when　she　could　get　it。

dorian　was　one　of　her　especial　favourites；　and　she　always　told　him　that　she　was　extremely　glad　she　had　not　met　him　in　early　life。　〃i　know；　my　dear；　i　should　have　fallen　madly　in　love　with　you；〃　she